Improvement in harvesters



W why/m Mm v Jim er. j 11 /6936 I 2 6 25112642 @012, A957,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I WiLLIAM W EBBER, JR, AND JOHN WEBBER, or ROOKTON, ILLINoIs' IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 18,938, dated December 2'2, 1857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM WEBBER, Jr., and JOHN WEBBER, of Rockton, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful arrangement,

of mechanism for operating the cutterblades of harvesting-machines; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of.

Our improvement in harvesting-machines consists in communicating motion from the main shaft a of the driving-wheel to the cutter-blade by means of the intermediate shafts, c d, arranged parallel with each other, on opposite sides of the bearing-wheel A, in such a manner that pulleys on the after ends of said shafts may be handed to each other and a regulating fly-wheel be combined with the shaft d, substantially as represented in the accompanying drawings.

The rear ends of the beams B C are combined. with the projecting end of the finger-bar D, and the forward ends of said beams are combined with the triangular block E and with the pole or tongue F of our improved harvestingmachine.

The mechanism forimparting motion to the cutter-blade is located in the space between the timbers B O and the finger-bar D.

Theprincipal weight of the machine is borne by the broad-faced wheel A, whose shaft to works in journal-boxes secured to the timbers B O. The toothed wheel I) is secured to the shaft to near its inner end, and, if deemed necessary, the periphery of said wheel may pass. a short distance within the rim of the bearing-wheel A. The pinion which gears with the toothed wheel bis combined with the shaft 0, whose forward end is supported by the off set 0 from the timber B, and whose after end is supported by a suitable box secured to the cross-bar p, which is combined with the timbers B O.

The pulley i on the after end of the shaft 0 is connected by the band It toa smaller pulley, j, on the crank-shaft cl. The shaft dis supported at its forward end by the inwardlyprojectingbearer g, which is secured to the timber G, andthe after end of said shaft works in ajournal-box secured to the cross-bar 1). A weighty fly-wheel or balance-wheel, e, is secured to the crank-shaft d, the size of which is such that a portion of its periphery passes within the rim of the bearing-wheel A. The pitman fconnects the crank on the after end of the shaft d with the cutter-plate g.

The cutter-plate gworks below the fingers which project from the bar D, and is pressed upward against the under surfaces of said fingers by the bearing-springs h h, which arrangement prevents the clogging of thg movements of the cutter-blade by the accumulation of any trashy matter between the said fingers and the cutter-blade. The bearing-wheelA plays freely upon the shaft a when a reverse movement isimparted to the machine; but when the machine is drawn forward the said wheel is prevented from turning on its shaft by the spring-clutch on;

When it is desired to prevent the forward movement of the bearing-wheel A from imparting motion to the cutter-blade, the springclutch m may be thrown outward beyond the reach of the hub of said wheel by means of the pivoted lever l, which may be operated by the driver while riding in the seat F.

When the cutter-blade of a harvesting-niachine is driven altogether by unyielding toothed gearing, there is a constant liability of breaking some of the teeth of the gearing or of the cutter-blade; but by banding the intermediate shaft, '0, to the crank-shaft (1 and combining the heavy flywheel 6 with said crank-shaft a perfectly steady motion is imparted to the cutter-blade without the slightest danger of breaking any of the aforesaid gearing or cutter-blade teeth.

hat we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Oommunicating motion from themain shaft 00 of the driving-wheel to the cutter-blade by means of the intermediate shafts, 0 (1, arranged parallel with each other, on opposite sides of the bearingwheel A, in such a manner that pulleys on the after ends of said shafts may be handed to each other and a regulating flywheel be combined with the shaft d, the whole signed and witnessed this 10th day of Novemheing constructed and arranged for joint opber, 1857.

eration substantially in the manner and for WILLIAM WEBBER, JR. the purpose herein set forth. JOHN WEBBER.

The above specification of our' new and im- Witnesses: nroved arrangement of mechanism for operating the cutter-bars of harvesting-machines J OHN GRIFFITH,

W. R. WELD. 

